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Whether you are a photographer or a dog groomer, you probably need a website if you want your business to succeed. The task of creating a website may seem daunting, especially if you’ve never done it before. However, with a content management system like WordPress, you’ll find that it’s a pretty easy job.

WordPress makes designing a sophisticated website a simple task that could be completed in a day. These fully functional websites have almost everything you need to get your business up and running online. Nonetheless, you’ll still have to choose a web hosting service provider.

The Importance of a Web Host

Your web host is the member of your technology team that ensures that visitors to your website have a secure, fun and fully functional experience. They provide the storage space for all of your data, and also may provide you with daily data backup so that you’re protected in case everything goes wrong.

It’s also your web host that makes certain that your website is up and functional the vast majority of the time. They do this by employing sophisticated servers and the latest technological advancements.

Not all WordPress web hosts are created equal, which is why it’s critical to compare various providers before choosing one. Two of the foremost providers are SiteGround and InMotion. Comparing them may help you decide which one is right for you.

Getting to Know SiteGround

When a group of university students in Bulgaria started SiteGround in 2004, they probably had no idea that they would one day be hosting more than half a million domains for customers around the world. Nonetheless, that’s where they are today. The company employs more than 400 people who field more than 3,000 chat requests with customers every day. There are also more than 1,000 phone calls and 1,500 tickets that get handled on a daily basis. It’s all an indication of what a thriving business this is, and clients are wildly enthusiastic about the quality of the hosting services and the customer support. SiteGround’s customers have their choice of four datacenters in Chicago, London, Amsterdam and Singapore.

Getting to Know InMotion

Since its inception in 2001, InMotion has managed to attract some 300,000 domains to its hosting service. Most of the company’s hosting experts have about four years of professional experience while workers at the managerial level boast more than a decade of experience. InMotion has two datacenters in Los Angeles, California and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Web Hosting Features

Both SiteGround and InMotion offer some pretty impressive features for their customers. Best of all, each offers packages that are tailor-made for websites that were created with WordPress. This means that people who choose either one of these web hosts will enjoy services that are optimized for the technology that’s used by their website.

SiteGround’s WordPress services are noted for their speed and security. This is managed hosting that comes with premium customer support, and all at a surprisingly affordable price. A one-click installer is included in all packages, so getting set up on SiteGround’s servers is a snap. Automatic updates ensure that WordPress websites will always operate with the latest releases. All of SiteGround’s plans are also WP-CLI enabled so that customers have command line management access. Larger plans from this host include SuperCacher, which features three levels of caching for the ultimate in speed. These deluxe packages further include WordPress staging so that testing and implementing website changes is easier than ever. Git repo creation is pre-installed on the more expensive packages.

Additionally, people who choose web hosting from SiteGround can depend on the company’s tremendous record for customer support. Website speed is assured by the latest and most powerful SSD hardware and NGINX technology. The company’s servers support HTTP/2 and PHP7 and come with a free CDN.

SiteGround also delivers some of the toughest security in the industry. Experts continually monitor the servers to catch any threats or problems. Vulnerabilities related directly to WordPress websites are guarded against with custom WAF rules. What’s more, WordPress and all plugins receive automatic updates and daily backups are a part of every package.

InMotion makes it easy for users to start a new WordPress website or to transfer an existing website to their servers. In fact, InMotion makes a “no downtime” guarantee on all WordPress website transfers. A free domain is included in every package as is SSD hardware. Available disk space for each customer is unlimited, which may be a valuable feature, even for small websites. Additionally, InMotion customers enjoy unlimited bandwidth so the number of visitors to their customers’ websites is not constrained.

Like SiteGround, InMotion is WP-CLI enabled and has WordPress pre-installed. Data backups are included in packages as is 24/7 customer support. PHP7 is supported to promise lightning-fast speed, and everyone can appreciate the easy-to-use control panel. Git access is a part of every package.

People who are considering InMotion as their web host should be aware that they do not offer full, managed WordPress hosting the way that SiteGround does. Still, they include many of the same elements like free daily backups and software updates that are automatic. What’s not included are things like automatic updates of WordPress plug-ins that come from a third party and security measures that are specific to WordPress. The other problem that you may encounter with InMotion is that while the general account settings are administrated through the Account Management Panel, it is necessary to log in to a separate cPanel if you want to make changes or updates to the website itself. Another downside is the necessity of buying an SSL certificate, which is free with SiteGround’s packages.

While it does miss a few elements when it comes to WordPress hosting, other features may make up for this. For instance, InMotion’s unlimited bandwidth and memory storage are attractive when compared with SiteGround’s more limited offerings.

It may also be valuable to keep in mind that neither SiteGround nor InMotion provide hosting for Windows. Linux servers are the only option for both companies.

SiteGround Vs Inmotion Data Results

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SiteGround Is Our Winner

After 5 different tests SiteGround was our top performing WordPress hosting company with our ‘will it scale’ test securing the win.

Time To First Byte

Performance testing is crucial if you really want to know how well a web host operates. Tests measuring several critical metrics were conducted in Dallas, Texas in July of 2016. SiteGround, InMotion and other competing web hosts were all tested.

SiteGround came out on top in all categories. In the time to first byte, or TTFB, test, SiteGround delivered a blistering 0.17 seconds while InMotion tested at a respectable 0.23 seconds. TTFB is essentially a measure of the time required from the second that a client submits an HTTP request until the first full byte of data is received from the server. The faster the TTFB on a website is, the quicker visitors will be able to view content. This not only makes for a better experience, but also may influence how high your website ranks in search results.

Speed Index

The Speed Index was the second critical metric that was recently tested. Once again, SiteGround came out on top with a measurement of 1430.30, which was faster than InMotion’s time of 1476.73. The speed index is a direct measure of the user’s actual experience. It relates mainly to above-the-fold content and how quickly it loads for the user. Many website visitors are either convinced of a website’s worth or decide to browse elsewhere depending upon this crucial metric.

Load Time

SiteGround came out on top here as well with a time of 4.38 seconds. InMotion’s time of 4.57 seconds is certainly respectable but still slower. Surveys indicate that most website visitors expect a page to load in two seconds or less. Clearly, how quickly your website loads is vital when it comes to turning a casual visitor into a paying customer. If you want to keep and attract visitors, then SiteGround’s faster load time might appeal to you.

Plans and Pricing

SiteGround offers three WordPress hosting packages. The first of these is the “StartUp” plan, which costs $9.95 per month. It comes with bandwidth to accommodate approximately 10,000 visits each month and 10 GB of storage space. Customers can have one website with this plan, and data transfers are unmetered. A drag-and-drop website builder is included as is free website transfer. The package further includes unlimited email accounts. This plan really caters to WordPress websites with security that is geared specifically to this content management system. Free WordPress auto update is included.

SiteGround’s second WordPress package is called “GrowBig.” Priced at $14.95 per month, this package features twice the storage space and bandwidth that is sufficient for about 25,000 visitors per month. Customers with this plan can have an unlimited number of websites on SiteGround’s servers. Other perks that come with this upgraded plan are access to the WordPress Special Cache and to all three levels of the SuperCacher. Thirty copies of three daily backups are a part of this plan as is basic backup and restore service. Members at this level further receive issue resolution on a priority basis and a premium wildcard SSL certificate.

The largest package offered by SiteGround is called “GoGeek.” It’s priced at $29.95 per month and comes with enough bandwidth for 100,000 visits per month and 30 GB of storage space. In addition to all of the features of the “GrowBig” plan, this one has premium backup and restore service, free PCI compliance, and free staging.

All of SiteGround’s packages are routinely discounted to between 45 and 60 percent off the advertised prices, which makes any of these packages extremely affordable for the small business entrepreneur.

InMotion also provides three packages for hosting WordPress websites. The most affordable is called “Launch,” and it comes with unlimited disk space and bandwidth. This is where InMotion comes out on top when compared with competitors, but it’s important to remember that this web host doesn’t have quite as many advanced WordPress features as SiteGround. “Launch” is priced at $7.99 per month and allows customers to have two websites. SSD servers are included, and people who use this hosting service package can have six parked domains and 25 sub domains.

InMotion’s mid-level plan is called “Power” and is normally priced at $7.99 per month. It has all the same features as the “Launch” package, but is twice as powerful. Customers on this plan can have a maximum of six websites, 26 parked domains and 100 sub domains.

The largest package costs $15.99 per month and is known as “Pro.” It features four times the performance of the “Launch” plan as well as pro-level support. This support guarantees that customers who have this package will enjoy 99.9 percent uptime. It’s important to note that SiteGround, in contrast, makes a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee for all of its packages. Moreover, the “Pro” package provides support for an unlimited number of websites, parked domains and sub domains.

Customer Service and Support

SiteGround is widely recognized as a leader when it comes to customer support. Their 99.9 percent uptime guarantee is backed by sound technology and expert technicians. With many WordPress tutorials available on their website, anyone can become a pro at creating and managing websites. Customer support experts are available on a 24/7 basis via the telephone, online chats and a ticketing process. Response times are speedy, and most problems are resolved in moments.

InMotion also features a robust support center where users can browse through the FAQs, view tutorials or find a link to the company’s YouTube channel. Online chat, Skype and the telephone provide more opportunities to connect with technical experts who can answer questions and resolve a host of issues. Many users report that InMotion’s customer service specialists are prompt, friendly and knowledgeable.

SiteGround and InMotion deliver reliable web hosting services for WordPress websites. However, their offerings are not identical. SiteGround provides a more robust package of features that are designed specifically to support WordPress websites, but InMotion clearly has the advantage with respect to bandwidth and storage capacity. In unbiased metric testing, SiteGround came out well ahead of the competition, which may make it a solid choice for nearly any WordPress website.

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SiteGround Is Our Winner

After 5 different tests SiteGround was our top performing WordPress hosting company with our ‘will it scale’ test securing the win.